Parashat Shmini A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem... Rosh Chodesh Nissan will be on Yom Chamishi (that's Thursday) The Molad will be TUE 8h 52m 16p (8:32am) This is THE WEEK for this column. Parshat HaChodesh (which also is M'vorchim). Knowing about mitzvot is always important. Always in some way part of the fulfillment of the mitzva. Certainly part of the KAVANA for it. But when the mitzva is in temporary abeyance, then learning about it, knowing it well, in detail, takes on additional significance. So it is with KIDDUSH HACHODESH. Join us on Motza'ei Shabbat for a special talk by Dr. Roy Hoffman, founder of the Israel New Moon Society on the practical side of observing the first lunar crescent. Kiddush on Shabbat (& Havdala on Motza"Sh) is the primary way to fulfill the mitzva of ZACHOR ET YOM HASHABBAT L'KADSHO. But buying a piece of kugel for Shabbat, even saying "have a good Shabbat", are ways that we fulfill the mitzva in little everyday ways. So too with KIDUSH HACHODESH. Primarily, the Sanhedrin fulfills this mitzva. But by dating a check with the Jewish date, by celebrating your Hebrew birthday (okay, in addition to your secular birthdate), by treating Rosh Chodesh special, we also fulfill HACHODESH HAZEH... 2-day Rosh Chodesh - Cheshvan, all Adars, Iyar, Tammuz, Elul. 1-day Rosh Chodesh - Shvat, Nissan, Sivan, Av. 1 or 2 day Rosh Chodesh - Kislev & Tevet (this year, both had 2-day Rosh Chodesh. 5760 will have 20 Rosh Chodesh days (not as previously noted. 20 is the most possible).
[The Shmini Homepage]
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